One Step Closer To Being Just Where I Want To Be
by JanetBanana
Summary: One shot. What do Chad and Ryan mean to each other? Chyan. Slash.


Authors Note: This is for Stephanie. She was the one who turned me on to Chyan, and inspired me to write this. Hers was the first Chyan I ever read. This story is nowhere _near_ as good as hers, but its my first foray outside of Life With Derek that I've published, so hopefully I can improve. Also, this story features Troypay, which I know isn't canon, but that's just what worked for the story, and something about Troyella just bothers me.

Disclaimer: If I owned High School Musical or High School Musical 2, it could never appear on the Disney channel.

Troy got everything. All the people Ryan saw appeal in always set their attentions on _him_. He was such a fake. Gabriella and her mom's brownies obviously couldn't stay away from Mr. Has it All. He was a jock with good grades and a preppy personality. Of course she was going to like him. But it was okay, because Ryan knew someone who would never approve of him going after Gabriella. Sharpay.

Funny enough, she was another person who wanted Troy. Though he couldn't see why. I mean, sure, the guy had a great voice, but like she'd said: he wouldn't know a Tony award from Tony Hawk. He'd never be her perfect stage partner, she already had one, and damn it, what did she see in Troy anyway? Just because he didn't know how to do a jazz square. Or maybe it was because Ryan wasn't the least bit scared by Sharpay. But if Sharpay had disapproved of Gabriella, the _whole world_ disapproved of Sharpay, including their parents, and no doubt she herself.

And then there was Chad. Sure he was male, and some people in the world wouldn't like that either, but the people who disapproved wouldn't be family. But Chad saw something in Troy too. He was the coach's son, the team captain, and as Ryan had overheard Chad say to Troy, he always knew what's up.

He supposed another difference that separated Chad from Gabriella and Sharpay was that he and Troy were currently on the outs. So when all that tension between Chad and himself that always seemed to be there continually failed to dissipate, he supposed it was time to make a move.

It was interesting, actually, that that was the final difference. Gabriella had never said or done things that could be taken as flirty. Sharpay never really flirted with him either, but she never cared when he would make the occasional off-color joke, because she was Sharpay. Her god complex made her think that no one—not even her twin brother—could resist her. But Chad flirted right back.

Chad was second-in-command. He was comparable to the vice president, or the first-runner-up in a beauty pageant. If for some reason, the winner was incapacitated and could not complete their reign, it was his job to step in and take his place. It was a hell of a place to be. Being second best is the most invisible feeling. The worst players got more attention; people didn't trash talk him, sure, but they never praised him either. It was all about Troy, and as much effort as Chad put into the game, he never had the talent to be number one.

He was so tired of Taylor. She had been so perky all the time, and when she became friends with Gabriella, the perkiness had, as she would annoyingly put it, increased exponentially. The perkiness didn't mesh with her cynical side that had drawn him to her, either. So he'd left her. And she hadn't even shed a tear. She'd told him she was tired of him caring about other people more than her. And he'd pretended to have no idea what she was talking about, but he knew better.

He'd been attracted to Ryan for a while. Ryan of all people knew what it would be like to be ranked second on a team. Sharpay certainly made it clear that everyone be reminded she was the better one. But Chad had secretly been to see all the plays the Evan's duo had starred in, and in Chad's probably biased opinion, Ryan had lots of talent. Of course, for a while he'd believed the rumors that Sharpay and Ryan were having some sick sort of relationship, and that had put him off, but he'd seen Ryan's attempts to sabotage her a few times, and that was enough for him. He'd flirted with him numerous times, but it was all that kind of flirting that looked like innocent friendship to the innocent bystander, in case Ryan didn't go in for that sort of thing. Ryan seemed to be flirting back, but in that same way, so he'd never been sure if Ryan was interested or not.

And then Gabriella and Taylor had picked Ryan up on that golf cart, and insisted that he play in the staff baseball game. He certainly was no stranger to the game, but when he and Sharpay had gotten to seventh grade, and theatre became an option, her schedule had become his, and he'd no longer been given the chance to shine on the baseball diamond. As much as he missed it, it didn't feel like _his_ anymore. Now it was Chad's. So when they invited him to Chad's playing field, he was both worried about whether he still had what it takes, and also whether Chad would think he was intruding.

He still wasn't sure what made him actually ask the Wildcats to put something together for the show. He supposed it was a chance to level the playing field, so to speak. Chad's adamant assertion, "I don't dance", had put him off, but he'd been so irate at Sharpay, turning him down for Mr. Basketball star. He'd show her, he could get a sports star too, and he actually understood the game Chad played.

What he didn't know was how soon it would happen, how easy it would be. On the field, they'd dove for the ball, and slid onto home plate. When they'd gotten to the locker room, they'd stripped down to their boxers and undershirt and washed their clothes. He pretended not to check Chad out, but when he was looking the other way, he couldn't deny sneaking a glance or two. They'd watched some sports highlights while they waited, and when they pulled the clothes out of the dryer it was Chad who had suggested the switch.

"You know this outfit is really sharp."

Sharp? Not exactly the kind of word he'd expected. "Uh, thanks."

"Can I wear it?"

Dozens of questions flooded through his mind, and he knew there would be implications. "Well, I don't mind, but I'm not sure what everyone's going to think about us, switching clothes and all."

"What do you think they'll think?" He'd said it with a challenge in his eyes.

"Well they might think we're together."

"You got a problem with that?"

"Well, no, but if that's what you want, I'd like to be asked."

"Okay, Evans, would you like to try dating a jock with unruly hair?" he asked, as he slid his hands onto Ryan's back, so they would be in the perfect position to slow dance, if Ryan reciprocated.

"Give me that baseball jersey." He wound his arms around his neck, and kissed Chad, and for the first time in either of their lives, a kiss felt right.

And that had been that. Minutes later, they'd walked out of the Lava Springs locker room, and Taylor had walked right up to Ryan and said "you're a much better match for him than I ever could be." That had shocked Ryan, and without a doubt, it had shocked Chad too.

There had never been any sort of official 'coming out day' for either of them. Ryan had dated girls, but everyone kind of assumed he was gay from day one. Even though he hated that his love for hats, theatre, and fashionable clothing, which never had anything to do with his sexuality, was what did it, he wasn't stupid to think he wasn't a blip on people's gaydar.

Chad didn't have dancing and fashion selling him out. He knew it was he that would be the shocker in this relationship. And yet it was clear the hardest sell would be to his friends. He was suddenly grateful he wasn't the star of the basketball team. He _was_ the star of the baseball team, but high school baseball went into the summer, so people never got into it the same way.

At any rate, neither of them had ever stood up in the cafeteria and announced to their friends that they were, indeed gay. They'd simply switched clothes in a locker room and spent a lot of time together on date-like activities. That's why they prepared themselves for awkward conversations, and their friends didn't disappoint.

"Chad, what the hell? Last week you were here to earn money so you could take Taylor out in a car, and now you're with Ryan. Why would you hurt Taylor that way?" Troy yelled at him.

"That way? Oh, I see, so if I'd gone out with another _girl_, it wouldn't have "hurt" Taylor as much?"

"That's not it at all. You hurt her because you went out with someone else, what, a week later. And yes, forgive me, after being best friends since preschool, for not having any idea you were interested in guys."

"Taylor, is cool with this, Troy. And what is wrong with my being interested in guys, anyway? Afraid I've been checking you out? Trust me, you are so not my type."

"Oh, because that was supposed to make me feel so much better, Danforth."

"Look Troy, this is going to happen whether you're mad at me or not. I am not breaking up with Ryan to make you happy. Deal with it."

The conversation hadn't resolved anything, but a week later, Troy had called Chad and invited both him and Ryan to go bowling. Their conversation hadn't been quite as heated as the one between Sharpay and Ryan.

"What are you doing Ryan? The Evans family has a lot to stand up to. And you just run around _our_ country club, where _our_ family's business deals take place, cuddling with Chad, like you don't think you're costing Daddy deals."

"Damnit, Sharpay, look around at all you have here. Most of the Wildcats who work here, would die to have a life like yours. Daddy is doing great. Rich kids with perfect lives like us, we're supposed to have scandalous stories. And if dating a guy is the most scandalous story I have, well sorry to admit it, but you will probably give people a lot more to talk about one day. Face it, you're the one who has a problem with me and Chad."

"You're right Ryan. You totally threw me for a loop. I thought I meant something to you."

"Excuse me? This is because you're jealous?" He'd thought she would've had a problem with the idea of 'Ryan and Sharpay', but hearing it this way, he was pissed. Arrogance was always a turnoff. "Sharpay, that is just sick!" And maybe only a little, but enough to make it a valid response. He was really mad, and when she stalked off, he knew it had done its job. Five fights later, interspersed with a few weeks of the silent treatment, and after he got Troy and Gabriella to do that other song, and ruin Sharpay's show, and she finally realized how much Chad meant to him. Finally she got it, and they reached an understanding. When they did, after she gave him the award, she'd insisted Chad and Ryan go on a double date with she and Troy.

And that's how Ryan Evans and Chad Danforth became East High's cutest couple. And since Sharpay, president of the yearbook committee and master conflict resolutionist against the administration was on their side, they even got voted cutest couple for the yearbook.


End file.
